Sleeping Beauty
by flamyshine
Summary: Mike, a chronic insomniac, seems to have stumbled upon a cure for his life-long agony... in the den of a big bad wolf. (Pre-established relationship)
1. Sleeping Beauty and the prince

**Pairing**: Harvey Specter/Mike Ross

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the characters.

**Warning**: little angst at the beginning, slightly creepy (but very helpful) Harvey

**Author's note**: Originally written for LJ suits_meme and dedicated to a dear friend of mine who's been suffering from the same issue as Mike.

* * *

_Tick tack. Tick tock._

Mike glared at the alarm clock as if he was on war against time. Well, technically, he was. He had been up for over seventy hours and he was trying to get some sleep even for an hour or two. The room was pitch-dark but his eyes had adjusted to the lack of light, so nothing could stop him from giving the clock a nasty glare.

'This is insane. _I_ am insane. I've been up for three full days! Shouldn't I have passed out by now?' Mike screamed inside as he turned around. He wanted the clock to stop running so fast. Didn't it know who it belonged to? Shouldn't they work as a team? Had they taught it in clock school to taunt its owner like this?

'Okay, I'm definitely going insane. There's no such thing as clock school.' Mike faced the clock again and pulled out the batteries. If he didn't like the clock, he could simply get another one.

'There you go. How nice it is.' Mike let out a satisfied sigh even though he knew that the small ticking sound wasn't the cause of his insomnia. It was just nice to get rid of that uncooperative bastard.

Mike had been suffering from chronic insomnia pretty much all his life. Ever since he had lost his parents at the age of five, his nights had never been the same. He had experienced trouble closing his eyes, thinking that nobody could protect him even if a monster decided to eat him as his late-night snack. His grandmother had often slept in the same room with him but how could an old lady (who wasn't a witch) possibly defeat the monster?

Years had passed and he had come to learn that monsters were not real, but unfortunately, it didn't do any good for his sleepless nights. His grandmother had taken him to all kinds of doctors (even the fake ones) and had introduced him to all sorts of treatments but nothing had seemed to work for more than a few weeks.

Mike had always considered it a miracle that he had grown up to be a tall boy with all of his organs functioning properly. He had once read that going on without sleep for more than a week would cause the organs to shut down one by one. The idea had completely terrified him and he had felt too much pressure to sleep that night. That was when he had decided to stop reading up on insomnia and try to use his time more wisely. He had much more time than most of the people after all.

'Hey, maybe it's not a miracle. Perhaps Grammy _is_ a witch, and a very good one! Maybe she gave me an eidetic memory too.' Mike mused as he turned over onto his stomach. He truly believed that he had gotten over his parents' death and the fear of becoming someone's late-night snack so what was still keeping him up at night?

'Oh god, it's half past four already. I really need to sleep.' Mike checked his smart phone and groaned like a wounded puppy.

'If only I could shut off my mind… Why couldn't God put a power button somewhere for people like me? Gosh, sometimes, I wish I was a robot. I could just check out for the day and rest all night in peace. No thoughts, no agony.' Mike flipped over and looked up at the ceiling, giving God a nasty stare. He had promised God that he would go to church every Sunday if he helped him with this annoying problem, but apparently God felt like he already had enough followers.

'I wish I could literally buy some sleep. Oh, what I wouldn't give to get this curse off my back…' Pulling the covers over his head, Mike let out a sigh of despair. He feared that one day he wouldn't feel strong enough and his body and/or mind would let him down.

'If that ever happens, Harvey will have to make sure his next associate doesn't have insomnia so he would never have to go through the interviews again.' Mike cackled even though he felt like crying.

'Ah, Harvey…' Mike pulled the covers down to his neck and thought about his boss. He could think about many adjectives to describe his boss but if he went there, he would stand no chance against getting any sleep. 'Insanely attractive' was only one of the many words that he could think of.

'I wonder if he's asleep. Maybe he's busy sleeping with a guy.' Mike wondered what it would feel like to lie in Harvey's bed, to feel his weight on him, and to look into those hazardous eyes. Every time he met Harvey's eyes, it felt like a piece of his soul was transferred to Harvey's. Given how he had been working for the man for over half a year, Mike was certain that Harvey owned more than half of his soul by now.

It's not like he hadn't thought about confessing his feelings for him but he had feared that if he got rejected, it would affect their working relationship. They had grown very close and enjoyed flirtatious banter but he didn't know if they actually meant anything. Harvey had never made a move on him and he hadn't dared to try anything funny.

Besides, the rumor said that the senior partner was only interested in one-night stands. Mike didn't think that he would ever sleep again if he ended up sleeping with Harvey only once. Knowing that there wouldn't be a second time, he would naturally have to replay their night in his mind over and over again.

'I'm not going to get any sleep tonight, am I?' Frustration washed over him but he took a deep breath to stay calm. Getting stressed over something that wasn't going to happen wouldn't do him any good.

'Fine. If that's the case, let's make a list of those adjectives.' Mike sat up and turned on the lamp on the nightstand as he tried to rub the fatigue out of his eyes. At least, thinking about Harvey was a great source of joy.

* * *

"Harvey? Donna says you need me?" Mike knocked on the door of Harvey's office that evening, wondering if there was more work to do.

"Yeah. I know we've had a tough week, Mike, but I'd really like to go over the Packard case today."

Mike nodded. "What do I have to do?"

"You can get your stuff and come back in ten. We're going to carry on at my place if you don't mind."

"Terrific!" Mike beamed. God did work in mysterious ways; this was totally worth three sleepless nights. He had been to Harvey's condo a few times before but it never failed to excite him whenever he got an invitation. Who cared if it was just for work? He was going to spend time with Harvey at his private place and that was all that mattered.

"Sporting a goofy grin in the doorway isn't part of getting your stuff, Mike, unless you're searching for your lost sanity here. Do I have to hold your hand to your cubicle?"

"You will do that for me?" Mike chuckled.

"Only if you choose something other than pizza, for dinner, that seems to constantly blow you."

Mike's hand jerked up to his ear. His hearing was starting to fail. Harvey must have said 'blow your mind' but in his sleep-deprived ears, it had sounded like 'blow you'. It wasn't actually the first time that his ears had tricked him today. He had imagined Harvey dropping suggestive words all day and had to blush furiously when he thought about them in the safety of his cubicle. He was obviously losing his mind.

"Mike? Are you okay? What's going on with you today?"

"Nothing. Uh, I'll choose garlic bread and pasta then. I'll be back in five." Mike turned on his heel and left in a hurry while his mind showed him a vivid image of Harvey blowing him in the back of the town car.

* * *

"And, that's a wrap!" Mike cried in delight as he realized that they had just finished the last page of the document.

"Good job, Mike. Good boy." Harvey gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder and stretched on the couch. "Do you want another cup of hot chocolate? Who else is going to drink that thing? I should serve you as many cups as I can while you're here."

"Haha, if that _thing_ means the most delicious hot chocolate I've ever had, then yes, please." Mike added a polite smile.

"You got it." Harvey got up and headed to the kitchen with a spring in his step. Things were going smoothly as he had planned. He was going to end his misery and ask his associate out tonight. He had waited for weeks for Mike to make a move on him but the stupid kid had been showing some superhuman patience. The new suit that he had bought for their first date had been hanging in his closet for too long and he was dying to show it off to the man he wanted to impress the most.

Needless to say, he had thought about making the first move but he wanted Mike to be absolutely sure that he was willing to venture into a complicated relationship with his boss. So no matter how difficult it was to keep his hands to himself, Harvey had been willing to wait for Mike to make up his mind and give him a clear signal.

But the signal never appeared despite the adoration and desire in Mike's eyes so Harvey had started to give him a hand by engaging him in banter that was more than just friendly. Mike had responded well but still hadn't crossed the line which had made him think that he would have to initiate action after all. So he had geared up this morning, ready to take control; he had dropped lewd hints all day, had got Donna find the best hot chocolate in the city, and had invited him over to his place.

'I can't believe he hasn't said anything about all those dirty expressions. Shouldn't he have asked if he had heard correctly? Or is his mind dirty enough that he thought it was all in his head?' Harvey had always suspected that his associate wasn't as innocent as he looked but it was just wrong to think about it when he was stirring such an innocent beverage.

'Let's add some marshmallows so he'll have absolutely no choice but to say yes.' Harvey opened the cupboard and generously put five marshmallows into the mug. Then he poured himself a glass of whisky and walked out of the kitchen, only to see that Mike was fast asleep on the couch.

'Well, this is disappointing. I was only gone for a few minutes.' He put down the drinks on the coffee table and weighed his options. Should he wake him up? Or should he go fetch him a pillow and a blanket?

He was leaning towards waking the kid up and having the talk once and for all, but Mike was clutching the cushion so desperately that he wasn't sure if he had the heart to disturb him. The young face looked completely exhausted and Harvey could tell that a good night's sleep was what he needed the most.

'Tomorrow's a Saturday so I guess he can stay here for the night.' Harvey had pushed down his disappointment and had started padding towards the guest room when he heard a groan.

He turned around to see if Mike was going to wake up but all he did was murmur something inaudible and go back into deep sleep. Harvey now had a new decision to make. Should he let him sleep on the couch or move him to the guest room? Wasn't that groaning a message of discomfort? He had a useful couch but it certainly couldn't beat the comfort of a bed. The answer was obvious.

'But if I'm not going to wake him up, I'll have to carry him. And, my bedroom happens to be much closer.' Harvey had an amusing grin plastered on his face as he carefully rolled the boy over. Then he scooped up both his associate and the cushion before heading to his bedroom. Mike stirred but didn't wake up. It seemed that he just needed to adjust the position of his head.

'Well, well, well, isn't this going to be fun?' Trying to feel like a prince rather than a big bad wolf, Harvey carried Mike into the master bedroom and put him down on the bed.

'Now what? He can't sleep in that dirty suit. These are brand new sheets.' Harvey had prepared new soft sheets in case Mike said yes and wanted to go the extra mile with him.

'Definitely not the most desirable circumstances, but at least he gets to sleep on these.' Harvey eased Mike's grip on the cushion, hoping that the boy would wake up enough to get undressed. He would gladly undress him for him but he was a gentleman; he wasn't going to do that unless there was no other option.

"Mike? Wake up for a second. Let's get you more comfortable." He pulled off Mike's socks, expecting it to do the trick, but the kid didn't move or make a sound.

"Hey, puppy. I need you to open your eyes for me." He shook the boy gently but still didn't get any response. So he sat on the edge of the bed and leaned down. Mike was too immobile for his peace of mind.

'Maybe he's not feeling well?' He put the back of his hand on Mike's forehead to check his temperature but he didn't feel abnormally hot.

'Then what's wrong with him? He's simply this exhausted?' Harvey felt bad for the firm's most promising associate. He remembered what it was like to be an associate, working eighty hours a week, trying his best every day not to screw things up. Besides, there was always an additional pressure for those who were in the spotlight. In Mike's case, he even had to deal with his little secret. Well, two little secrets if he counted how the boy was harboring deep feelings for his boss.

'Oh, Mike…' Harvey lifted his right hand and stroked the haggard face. There was not much he could do regarding the heavy workload, the attention Mike got as his associate or the fact that he didn't go to Harvard, but he was in the perfect position to help him out with his other secret.

'Then I suppose this is a great place to start. He certainly wouldn't think that I took off his clothes in his head.' Harvey tried not to rejoice at the opportunity of undressing the object of his affection. He took a good look at the sleeping boy before slowly unbuttoning his shirt. He had fantasized about this moment so many times that he wasn't sure if the real thing would live up to his expectations. But as he opened the shirt and saw the boy's chest heave in his undershirt, he had a feeling that he wasn't going to get disappointed.

'If only he was conscious and showed some kind of a response…' He felt the urge to kiss the sleeping beauty and wake him up just to see how those blue eyes would react, but that would put an end to his guilty pleasure. So he pushed down the wistful sense of what might have been and freed the arms from the shirt. Then he proceeded with extreme interest to remove the old and unfashionable belt so he could get to the best part.

'I'm just trying to help here. He'll be grateful in the morning when he realizes how well he slept thanks to his considerate mentor.' Harvey convinced himself as he undid the button on his associate's pants. He had performed this particular activity on numerous occasions but his heart reacted as if it was the first time. Mike was different. He was special, which made this a very special occasion.

That was when Mike moaned in his sleep.

Harvey froze mid-action with his fingers on the top of the zipper. Was he waking up? Had the fun already come to an end? Was Mike going to stop him when it had just started to get interesting?

He held his breath and waited for Mike's next reaction. But after a few seconds, it didn't look like the boy was going to disturb him. Harvey thought that it was only fair since he hadn't disturbed Mike's sleep either.

'Very well then. Let's carry on.' Harvey smiled mischievously and enjoyed the obscenely loud sound of the zipper going down, revealing a pair of… Star Trek underwear.

'Well, this is rather unexpected.' Harvey had expected many different things in this particular scene but he had never thought that he would come eye to eye with Captain Kirk who was judging him from the front of his associate's underwear. He wasn't sure if he should be extremely turned on or deeply ashamed.

'I'm just trying to make him more comfortable, that's all. It's not like I waited in the kitchen until he fell asleep so I could get him out of his clothes.' He justified his actions to the captain as he tugged at the legs of Mike's pants. If he felt like the stern eyes of his fictional hero were piercing through his mind, it only meant that he needed some sleep.

Harvey's eyes feasted on the fair skin that appeared more and more as the fabric glided down the long legs. He wanted to run his hands down the toned thighs and explore the shape of those cute knees but someone was still judging him.

'Oh, you can't be serious. Who are you to judge me? Who knows what you did to Spock while he was asleep?' Harvey gave the captain the stink-eye before folding Mike's clothes and putting them on the nearby chair. Then he changed into something more comfortable as he took in the sight of his associate sleeping in peace.

To think that Mike was resting his mind and body in the most private part of his condo made Harvey feel fervently protective of him. The burning desire to touch him had just been replaced with the need to protect him even from himself.

'It has nothing to do with you, Captain, so you can wipe off that smug grin of yours.' Harvey made it clear as he joined his guest under the covers. Mike was so close and warm next to him that he couldn't help but _innocently _drape his arm over Mike's waist. He wanted to watch the wonder boy sleep but if he watched any longer than he already had, his hand was going to slide under his undershirt and break the spell.

'Good night, puppy. Sweet dreams.' Harvey left a feathery kiss on the pale cheek before closing his eyes. He was a heavy sleeper but he had a feeling that he was going to sleep even better tonight.


	2. Sleeping Beauty and the big bad wolf

**Warning**: slightly creepy (but very helpful) Harvey again

**Author's note**: Probably rated somewhere between T and M or just M (nothing explicit)

* * *

The moment Mike regained consciousness, the first thing that hit him was how well he had slept. His night had been so perfect that he didn't want to get up. Even with his brilliant memory, he couldn't remember the last time that he had slept so well. Mike yawned and thought about how he could sleep some more since it was a beloved Saturday.

'Wait a minute. What is this thing around my waist?' Mike grabbed the heavy object and his eyes immediately flew open. It wasn't an object; it was part of a living organism.

"Heeeek!" He jumped out of bed, the minute he recognized the face attached to the arm.

'Oh my gosh! Did we sleep together? And, I don't remember a thing?' Mike quickly checked himself and noticed with relief that there weren't any love bites or hand prints on his skin. His undershirt and Captain Kirk underwear seemed to be intact as well. He wasn't even into Captain Kirk. The only reason that he had got it from a geeky online shopping mall was because he wanted to be closer to Harvey.

'But how did I end up here? Did we make out? But I wasn't drunk last night! I only had some hot chocolate! Wait… did I get that second cup in the end?' Mike racked his brain to figure out how he had got to sleep in his boss' bed wearing minimal clothes but the last thing he could remember was taking a break on the couch.

'So what happened next? He brought me to bed and took off my suit?' Mike instantly turned red as he pictured Harvey smirking at his choice of underwear. He was pretty sure that he hadn't undressed himself so it must have been his boss.

'But this is not the way I wanted him to undress me! Oh god, what if I drooled or scratched my armpit?' All kinds of unsexy actions roamed freely in his mind as he sat on the edge of the bed. His attention was naturally drawn to the man who was still asleep, unaffected by the confusion and concern of his bedmate.

'Well, if he watched me sleep, now it's my turn. I hope he does something entirely embarrassing so we'll be even.' Mike cackled but as soon as he laid his eyes on Harvey's arm, he grew more serious.

'Why did he have an arm around me? Is it a habit of his?' But Mike had trouble imagining his boss cuddling with a random guy even if he let him sleep over. Was he seeking some warmth then? But Harvey was wearing silk pajamas with long sleeves, which was much more than what he himself had worn for the night. Was it possible that Harvey had wanted to keep him warm then? Or that he had simply wanted to be closer to him?

Now that he knew that Harvey had wrapped an arm around him, his brain was shedding some new light on last evening's events. Wasn't Harvey looking at him rather fondly? Was it really an accident when his hand had brushed against his while handing over that brief? Perhaps there had been something more than an apology in that hot chocolate. Was that why he had offered him a second cup? Because he liked him so much? More importantly, why hadn't Harvey woken him up? And, why hadn't he put him in the guest room? Just because it was farther away? Was it possible that he had slept so well because Harvey had been so close? Or was it thanks to Harvey's bed and pillow and whatever else contributed to the perfect condition of the bedroom?

"It's a Saturday, Mike. You don't need to torture your brain this early in the morning." Harvey yawned and switched his pillow to the one that smelled like Mike.

"What happened last night?" Mike was too out of it to wish him a good morning.

"You fell asleep on the couch so I carried you here." Harvey mumbled against his new pillow. It smelled nice like a warm puppy.

"But you have a guest room!" Mike yelled, unable to process what was going on.

"Yes, but nobody's used it for months. Forgive me if I tried to be an excellent host."

Mike put his clothes back on and wondered if he should ask about the arm but Harvey had already drifted back to sleep. 'What? How can he fall asleep in the middle of a conversation? I wish I could fall asleep that easily!'

He struggled while putting on his socks and gave his boss one last look before walking out of the bedroom. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he had to come back and find out if it was a fluke that he had slept so well. If not, he would very much like to know what the miraculous cure to his condition was.

'And, in the process, I'll also have to look for more clues about what he thinks about me. Who knows? Maybe I have a chance.'

Slipping out of the condo with a well-rested mind and body, Mike started to think about all the possible scenarios that would bring him back to exactly where he was.

* * *

_Scenario #1:_

"Harvey, do you think I could borrow your Star Trek DVDs?"

"What for? You should have your own set by now."

"I know. But I'm a cautious consumer and I'd like to know exactly what I'll be buying."

Harvey stopped reading the deposition and looked up at his uncultured associate. "Are you saying that you've never watched it properly before?"

Mike nodded with a fake guilty expression. His boss was too bothered by the unacceptable situation to catch him acting.

"Seriously, Mike, a good lawyer needs some decent cultural material to share with his clients. Why don't you come over tonight so I can point out the historic scenes for you?"

Doing his best not to jump in victory, Mike nodded prettily.

Later that night, Mike fell asleep, sitting on the couch while Harvey took a bathroom break. When he came back to the living room, Harvey had no other choice but to gleefully undress his associate and put him to bed.

* * *

_Scenario #2:_

"Harvey, do you mind if I sleep over at your place tonight? My neighbor's got a new boyfriend and you have no idea how loud they are. Seriously, it's like they've discovered a new universe or something."

"Fine. I'll get the housekeeper to have the guest room ready. I still need to get rid of all that hot chocolate anyway."

"Thanks. And, I'm grateful for the hot chocolate but I wish I had some apple pies to go along with."

Later that night, Mike fell asleep at the coffee table with his third pie clutched in his hand. The guest room didn't even cross Harvey's mind when he picked up the boy in his arms.

* * *

_Scenario #3:_

"Harvey, I know I've already imposed myself on you twice this week but could I…"

"Yes, Mike. You can come over tonight." Harvey kept typing on his laptop. He didn't really care what kind of an excuse Mike had today. If it was going to happen a third time, it could hardly be a coincidence. Mike was doing this on purpose and it was intriguing.

"Anything else?"

"Uh, nope. Thanks, Harvey!" Mike walked away with a happy heart. That had gone better than he had hoped for.

Later that night, Mike fell asleep on the couch with his head on Harvey's shoulder while his boss read him the sports page. If anyone had seen Harvey lift his associate in his arms, he would have seen a grin that would only work on the face of a big bad wolf.

The next morning, Harvey woke up just in time to catch Mike lifting his undershirt and checking his chest. For some reason, he had a disappointed look on his face as he rolled down the undershirt back in place.

"What's wrong? It hurts somewhere?" Harvey went through his routine of replacing his pillow with Mike's under his head as he waited for an answer.

"No, I'm good." Mike smiled but Harvey could tell that something was wrong.

"Thanks for letting me stay, Harvey. I'll see you later in the office."

Before Harvey could say anything, Mike had disappeared like any other morning.

'What was that about?' He rolled onto his stomach and pushed his nose into the pillow. 'It looked like he was searching for something. But what could he possibly find on his chest?'

'Oh…' He had a theory and it was only logical for him to test it at the earliest opportunity.

* * *

_Scenario #4:_

"Harvey, could I possibly…"

"Yes, puppy. Come over tonight."

Later that night, Mike fell asleep with his head on Harvey's lap while his boss gave him a scalp massage strictly as a mentor. When Harvey gathered the boy in his arms for the night, he looked like a man on a mission.

The next morning, Mike found a note waiting for him on the nightstand:

_Puppy,_

_There's a spare toothbrush, razor, and shower towel in the bathroom. Also, I took the liberty of getting you a fine suit. If you're grateful, you'll make me some breakfast before Ray comes to pick us up._

_- The best mentor you could ask for_

Mike bit back a laugh and gave his mentor a peck on the cheek. 'Insanely happy' was only one of the many words that he could think of.

He quietly got out of bed and brushed his teeth in the bathroom until his eyes grew wide at the reflection of himself. What was that on the side of his neck? Mike leaned closer to the mirror and confirmed that it was a love bite. 'Oh my god, Harvey…'

He locked the door and took off his undershirt with his toothbrush still present in his mouth. He looked down at himself and saw another one right below his left nipple and one next to his belly button. How could have he slept through all that?

'Jesus, Harvey… This is all your fault.' Mike brushed his teeth in a hurry and jumped into the shower. He turned on the water, hoping that Harvey had a soundproof bathroom or that he would be able to keep his voice down.

* * *

_Scenario #5:_

"Harvey…"

"Yes, come over."

"But I didn't even…"

"It's written all over your face, puppy."

Mike was certain that the smile Harvey had just given him was fond. He had slept so well these days that he could go on without sleep for a couple of days, but he didn't want to miss spending time with the man he adored. "Thanks, Harvey. I'll bring some snack."

Later that night, Mike didn't fall asleep but pretended to, so he could enjoy everything that Harvey had to offer. When Harvey scooped him up with ease, he did his best not to blush. He felt like a stupid princess.

"Let's get you to bed, Mike." Harvey's voice was close to a whisper and Mike couldn't help but get excited at what was coming next.

As usual, Harvey carried his associate to the master bedroom and gently put him down on the bed. For once, Mike wasn't sleeping with his mouth open which was a big relief. He really didn't want to see him drool while he went through his favorite part of the day.

Mike felt Harvey's fingers work on the buttons of his shirt and started to get worried. He had no idea if he could let Harvey complete his routine without showing him that he wasn't asleep. He couldn't bite his lips or moan eagerly or shudder in anticipation. All he could do was just lie there with his heart racing, feeling as naughty as ever.

'I can't believe I'm enjoying this.' He had almost lifted his torso to help Harvey take off his shirt but had managed to stay still at the very last minute. He figured that Harvey would stop immediately if he woke up, so that wasn't an option.

'Talk about suspense!' Mike made sure that his arms were nice and heavy when Harvey carefully took them out of his shirt.

'What's next? Does he leave bites on my chest first or does he take off my pants?' Not knowing what Harvey was going to do next, not being able to see where his hands and lips were headed was all part of the thrill. Mike tried to slow down his breathing so he wouldn't get caught but when Harvey pressed his lips against his forehead, he made a small sound of surprise. A kiss to his forehead was too sweet in this situation and very much unexpected. He just hoped that Harvey hadn't thought much of it.

The warm lips soon traveled down the side of his face and arrived at his neck and Mike felt himself relax a little. Then Harvey's hands slipped under his undershirt, slowly caressing his sides, before moving on to his belt. Mike was impressed at how skillfully Harvey got rid of his pants on his own. It only turned him on even more which wasn't exactly welcome at the moment.

'This really shouldn't be turning me on so much. What happens if he notices it? Would he still think I'm asleep?' Mike didn't want to think about the answer so he put extra effort into his acting. But Harvey's hands were now tracing a path down his legs all the way to his ankles, making it impossible for him to lay still. So he moved his legs as if he was tossing and turning because of a delightful dream, pleased at his improvisation.

Harvey responded by pressing open-mouthed kisses to his knees and it took all of Mike's strength not to wrap his arms around his boss and kiss him senselessly. The man was driving him crazy and he didn't think that he could keep up the act for much longer.

That was when Harvey moved up swiftly and bit him on the collarbone.

"Ahh…" It was too late to take back the moan.

"You're awake."

"No, Harvey… Don't stop." Mike opened his eyes and clutched Harvey's hands that were resting on his thighs. He didn't want it to end.

Harvey was silent for a few seconds before moving his hands again. "If I go on, you're going to tell me why you keep falling asleep on me."

Mike looked into Harvey's eyes and nodded. He didn't enjoy talking about it but he certainly owed his boss an explanation.

"Good. Now, how far do you want this to go? You have to tell me."

Mike blushed before he looked away. This was embarrassing. "Very…"

Harvey's hands stopped moving again. "How far is very, Mike? You're a lawyer. You can do better than that."

"But a lawyer doesn't normally find himself in such a compromising position!" Mike squirmed as Harvey spread his legs to get better access to his inner thighs.

"You're wrong. A lawyer is a lawyer 24/7 whether he's about to win in court or get devoured in his boss' bed."

"I'm about to get…" Mike swallowed hard. Now would be a good time to have a cup of that soothing hot chocolate. His excitement was off the charts.

"So I'll ask again, puppy. How far do you want this to go?" Harvey stayed away from Mike's underwear so he wouldn't feel like forcing his associate.

"I want more than one night with you." Mike hoped that it was good enough of an answer. He needed Harvey's hands to climb up just a little higher.

"So two nights will do?" Harvey smiled with a devilish charm.

"Don't tease me, Harvey! If you're such an excellent host as you claim to be, you wouldn't do that to your guest. Do I have to tell you the exact date, time, and location when you said that?"

Harvey felt a little proud. His puppy was all red with arousal but his brain was still working. "Look who's thinking like a lawyer here. Now, I have something easier for you. What do you think about my plan to kiss you on the mouth?"

Mike wore his most serious expression on his face and gave his boss a firm nod. "As your lawyer, I strongly encourage you to do that."

So Harvey took the advice of the promising young lawyer and put his veteran skills to use until his associate yelled out the wildest cry known to mankind.

* * *

Harvey believed that there was no better place to have a meaningful conversation than in a post-coital bed. Mike was docile and pliant in his arms, ready to tell him everything he wanted to know.

"Time to talk, puppy." He lifted his associate's chin to get his attention. "Now, I don't think hot chocolate contains any sleep-inducing substance that makes kids pass out on their beds, so what is going on with you?"

"I'm a chronic insomniac." Mike said with a deep sigh as if he was talking about a much graver condition such as cancer.

"Well, you could've fooled me," Harvey said after a short pause. "I didn't know."

Mike detected a hint of guilt in Harvey's last words. "Because I never told you."

"But it's my job to read you, Mike. I just thought you had a first-year associate syndrome. Exhaustion, stress, and all that."

"Wow, you like me much more than I thought. This is surprising." Mike tried to lighten the mood. He didn't want Harvey to feel bad about something he seemed to have finally found the cure for.

"Let's not go there, okay? I only did what you expected of me." Harvey ran his fingers over the love bite on Mike's collarbone. It looked nice on his puppy.

"Oh, I think you clearly surpassed my expectations, Harvey. I didn't even know you could do something like that with your tongue down there." Mike laughed.

"As much as it fascinates me to hear you gush about my supreme technique, let's get back to that little problem of yours. Why aren't you taking sleeping pills?" Harvey rubbed his associate's arms to offer him some moral support.

Mike shrugged. "They make me feel lousy in the morning and it takes a while to get rid of all that fog in my mind. I hate them with passion. I can't help it. My mind is who I am."

Harvey wasn't going to argue about that. He respected Mike's opinion. "So nothing really worked until you met the beauty that is my couch."

Mike chuckled. "Pretty much, yeah. Although I'm not sure if it's just the couch. I think it's a combination of many things in your living room."

"Ah, I always knew there was something special about my living room." Harvey's tone was light.

"It's not just your living room though. Even when I manage to fall asleep, I usually wake up after a couple of hours. But in your bedroom, I can apparently sleep for over six hours, which is too amazing for words, really."

Harvey's heart ached at the wonder in Mike's voice. He sounded like he couldn't believe that he had stumbled upon a cure. It was obvious that he had suffered intensely to a point that it had driven him crazy. He had probably gone through more than enough trials and errors for his age and there must have been times when he had simply wanted to end it all.

"I'm proud of you, Mike. I'm glad you grew up to be who you are." He meant every word of it. He wasn't going to interrogate him about his past suffering or treatment history and make him feel miserable. What was important was that Mike had hold on during all these years, fighting tooth and nail, and had landed in his arms with no major damage done.

"Hmm? You're proud of me?" Mike was drawing pretty patterns with his fingers on Harvey's chest. It was a very enticing canvass.

"Yes, I'm proud you made it to this day, Mike. A single night can feel incredibly long when you're in agony."

"That is true." Mike's fingers stopped moving and he looked up. "That's why I made that long list about you."

"You made a list about me?"

"Yes, do you want to hear it? You'll probably die of embarrassment, but then you have the mother of all egos so you might actually like it."

Harvey laughed and kissed him briefly before giving him the green light. "Tell me about that list."

As Mike started to recite all the adjectives that fit him nicely, Harvey thought about using his resources to find a backup cure for his boy. If Mike didn't like pills, he could try new types of treatments. If he didn't want to talk about his medical history, Harvey could contact the doctors himself without bothering him.

"Are you even listening?"

"Sorry. Yes, I'm listening. Please go on."

Mike resumed informing him about his impressive list and Harvey couldn't help but feel that Mike wouldn't be the only one who was going to sleep better at night. Sleeping with a warm puppy by his side had always been one of his dreams.


End file.
